Multi-purpose storage unit



Match 3, 1964 w HANSON 3,123,220

MULTI-PURPOSE STORAGE UNIT Filed Aug. 25, 1961 IN VENTOR. EDWAZD W bwsm/ BY W 2. p a

ATTOPIVEVS' United States Patent I w H 3,123,220 MULTI-PURPOSE STORAGE UNIT Edward W. Hanson, 862 Summit Ave., St. Paul, Minn.

Filed Aug. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 133,990 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-88) This invention relates to a multiple-purpose storage unit for maintaining a variety of articles in Well-ordered segregation.

Although storage units have been known in the past, they have had certain disadvantage, not the least of which is the cost thereof in relation to the price that the purchasing public is willing to pay for such a unit. It will further be understood that in various situations, different types of storage facilities are needed. For instance many items, such as toilet articles or the like that a man carries in his pockets, can best be stored on a shelf when not in use; other items such as soiled clothes can be rumpled and temporarily stored in a hamper; still other items such as shoes can best be stored on an inclined rack over which the heels will fit; and still other items, such as large toys and heelless slippers or shoes can best be stored in a downwardly convergent hopper. Still other items, such as socks and underwear are conveniently maintained in well-ordered storage in a tray which may be compartmentalized.

The storage units known in the past have generally been one-purpose items which may not conveniently be used for one type of storage at one time and for another type of storage at another time.

With these comments in mind it is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages to which the present invention is directed along with the inclusion therein of other novel and desirable features.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved, multiple-purpose storage unit of simple and inexpensive construction and operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel storage unit with a minimum of parts which may be arranged and rearranged with respect to each other to provide different types of storage facilities according to the nature of the articles to be stored.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved storage unit which may be arranged to provide several types of storage facilities simultaneously or may be arranged to provide a substantial amount of uniform type of storage.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a new and novel multi-purpose unit which may be adjusted to provide facilities in the form of shelves, hoppers, hampers, racks and trays or drawers.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail section view taken on a vertical plane inside one of the side panels and showing the invention in a rearranged condition,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and showing the invention further rearranged and with additional parts added thereto; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention shown arranged for a tray or drawer.

The multiple purpose storage unit is indicated in general by numeral 19 and includes a substantially rigid frame structure or shell 11 constructed of stiff sheet material such as sheet metal or other stiff sheet material. The

frame structure 11 includes a rear panel 12 and a pair of side panels 13 and 14 at the opposite edges of the rear panel 12 and formed integrally thereof. The side panels 13 and 14 are parallel with each other and have front edges 13a and 14a respectively folded back upon themselves. It will be seen that the side panels 13 and 14 have rows of apertures 15 and 16 respectively adjacent the front edges thereof. The frame structure 11 may also include angle brackets 17 disposed adjacent the ends of the side panels and afiixed on the rear panel 112- as by spot welding. The angle brackets 17 are in closely spaced and confronting relation with forwardly turned lips or flanges 18 which are formed integrally of the rear panel 12.

A plurality of article-engaging plates or saddles 19 are attached, as hereinafter more fully described, to the frame structure 11. All of the article-engaging plates 19 are identical with each other and an understanding of the construction of one will suflice for an understanding of all of the article-engaging plates 19. Each of the plates 19 includes an elongate planar intermediate portion 20 which extends between the opposite side panels 13- and 14. Each of the plates 19 also includes a pair of parallel and opposed end portions 21 bent normal to the intermediate portion 20 and lying against the side panels '13 and 14 of the frame structure. It will be seen that the end portions 21 are generally triangularly shaped and each of the end portions 21 is provided with a pivot bolt-receiving slot 22 disposed substantially midway between the front and rear edges 29a and 20b of the intermediate portion 20. The slots 22 are also spaced from the intermediate portion 2!} by a distance substantially equaling one-half the distance between the front and rear edges 20a and Zilb. The row of apertures 15 is similarly spaced from the rear panel 12 a distance substantially equaling onehalf the spacing between the front and rear edges 2% and 2011.

Each of the end portions 21 is also provided with an elongate arcuate slot 23 spaced approximately midway between the front and rear edges 20a and 20b of the intermediate portion 20 of the plate and the arcuate slot 23 is substantially equi-distance, all along its length, from the edge 20b.

Releasable plate-supporting and clamping means facilitating swinging adjustment of the plates 19 is provided in the form of bolts 24, the shanks of which extend through aligned apertures 15 and 16 of the side panels 13 and 14 and through the corresponding apertures 22 in the plate end portions. The bolts 24 with nuts thereon clamp the end portions 21 against the side panels and hold the plates 19 in desired positions.

It will be noted that the intermediate portion 20 of each of the plates =19 has upturned and downturned lips 25a and 2512 at its opposite edges.

The article-engaging plates 19 may be oriented, as depicted in the several views of the drawings, in various positions relative to the rear panel 12. In many instances, the frame structure 11 will be attached to a wall surface or to the surface of a door, such as a closet door D. In other instances, as depicted in FIG. 5, the frame structure 11 may be oriented substantially horizontal to function as a tray.

With particular reference to the storage unit employed in a generally upright position, it will be seen that the article-engaging plates 19 are frequently employed as shelves and accordingly oriented in a substantially horizontal position as depicted by the position of plate 1% in FIG. 1 and by plate 19c in FIGS. 3 and 4 which is in inverted position. In each instance where the articleengaging plate is oriented in a horizontal position to serve as a shelf, the rear edge of the intermediate portion 2% will be disposed in closely spaced relation with the rear panel 12 and may actually engage the rear panel 12. In certain instances, it may be desired that all of the article-engaging plates serve as shelves and they may be all oriented in substantially horizontal position as depicted in FIG. 4, wherein it will further be noted that additional article-engaging plates are provided. It should be noted that the'upperm'ost and lowermost article-engaging plates in FIG. 4 are disposed in'inverted position with'respect to each other so as to position the article-supporting intermediate portions 29 closely adjacent the upper and lower end edges'l3 and .14.

It will be noted that one or more of the article-engaging plates may be oriented'in a substantially vertical position, as depicted by the position of plate 19a in FIG. 1, which is disposed with the intermediate portion 2'9 thereof in a substantially vertical plane and above the front portion of the horizontally oriented plate 1% so as to cooperate therewith and the rear panel 12 for forming an 0pentopped hamper for receiving and storing soiled clothes and the like. As seen in FIG. 3, the hamper may be given an increased depth by orienting both of the article-engaging plates 19a. and 1% in vertical position substantially above the-front portion of plate 1% so as to cooperate therewith in defining a hamper. The spacing between the vertically oriented plates and the horizontally oriented hamper bottom permits free circulation of air through the hamper for allowing the soiled clothes therein to be adequately dried.

As further seen in FIG. 1, one or more of the plates may be oriented in an outwardly and upwardly inclined position with respect to the rear panel 12 as depicted by the plate 190 so as to cooperate with the rear panel in defining an upwardly divergent hopper-type bin in which toys or other miscellaneous articles such as slippers, may be'stored.

It will further be seen in FIG. 1 that one or more of the article-engaging plates may be oriented in a downwardly and outwardly inclined position, as depicted by the plate 19d in FIG. 1 for supporting shoes and other similar articles.

As seen in FIG. 5, the unit ltl' may be oriented in a substantially horizontal position to serve as a drawer or tray and in' this position the article-engaging plates 19 may be secured to the side panels 13 and 14 with the bolts 24 projecting through the arcuate slots 23 of the plate end portions 21. The storage unit ltl may serve as merely a tray within a drawer on a closetshelf, or might serve as an actual drawer in a chest with the lip 25a serving as a handle with which to pull the unit it outwardly of the cabinet. In this form, the clamping bolt 24 would be left slightly loose but with a spring washer so that when the lip 25a' is manually gripped the articleengaging plate 19 could tip outwardly slightly, the plate being prevented from sliding inwardly along the rear panel 12 by the angle bracket 17.

It will be seen that l have provided a multiple purpose storage unit of extremely simple and inexpensive construction which is readily adapted for storing many miscellaneous types of articles, some of which require special storage characteristics or storage facilities, such as a hamper, hopper, shelf, inclined shelf or shoe rack or where the articles may be stored in a tray. It will be understood that in the form shown in FIG. 5, additional article-engaging plates may be placed in the tray to serve as tray dividers.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of may invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: l. A multiple purpose storage unit, comprising a pair of spaced and opposed elongate side panels normally oriented in upright positions and having rear edge portions, 21 rear panel extending between and rigidly secured to said side panels adjacent said rear edge portions, a first article-engaging and substantially horizontally oriented plate having a front edge, a second article, engaging plate spaced above said first plate and oriented in a substantially vertical plane adjacent the front edge of said first plate, each of said plates extending between said side panels and each having substantially parallel and opposed end portions bent transversely thereof and lying against said side panels, each of said'end portions being generally triangular in shape with side edges converging away from said plate, said end portions of adjacent plates lying in spaced edge-to-edge relation with each other without interferring with each other as the plates are oriented in various horizontal and vertical positions means on said end portions releasably securing said end portions to the side panels in stationary position and including a pair of pivots each supportirn a respective end portion for swinging adjustment on the corresponding side panels, said plates cooperating with each other and with said rear panel in defining an open-topped articlereceiving hamper, whereby said plates may be reoriented for cooperating with said side panels and rear panel for supporting other articles in various manners.

2. A multiple purpose storage unit for storing articles such as soiled clothes, toys, shoes and the like, comprising a pair of spaced and opposed elongate side panels normally oriented in upright position and having rear edge portions, a rear panel extending between and rigidly secured to said side panels adjacent said rear edge portion, a pair of elongate article-engaging plates each having an intermediate portion extending between said side panels and each of said plates having substantially parallel and opposed end portions bent substantially normal to said intermediate portions and lying against said side panels, each of said end portions being substantially triangularly shaped with the apex portion thereof disposed in spaced relation with the plate, said plates having front and rear edges, each of said end portions having a pivot-receiving aperture disposed substantially midway between saidfront and rear edges and spaced from saidintermediate portions 2. first distance substantially equaling one-half the spacing between said front and rear edges of the plate, said side panels each having an upright row of apertures spaced from said rear panel by a second distance substantially equaling said first distance, said plates being disposed one above the other in spaced relation, a plurality of clamping fasteners having pivot shank portions extending through aligned apertures in the plate end portions and in the side panels and said fasteners releasably securing the plates to the side panels, the lowermost of said plates being oriented in a substantially horizontal plane and the uppermost of said plates being oriented in a substantially vertical plane above the front edge of the other horizontal plates, said plates cooperating with the rear panel to define an-open-topped hamper for confining soiled clothes and the like, and said plates being swingably adjustable to other positions without interferring with each other for supporting various articles in various manners.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,723,753 Vance Aug. 6, 1929 1,805,989 Levene May 19, 1931 2,21 ,11 Bales Aug. 27, 1940 2,495,109 Kramer Jan. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 295,954 Switzerland Apr 1, 1954 4 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1947 

1. A MULTIPLE PURPOSE STORAGE UNIT, COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED AND OPPOSED ELONGATE SIDE PANELS NORMALLY ORIENTED IN UPRIGHT POSITIONS AND HAVING REAR EDGE PORTIONS, A REAR PANEL EXTENDING BETWEEN AND RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID SIDE PANELS ADJACENT SAID REAR EDGE PORTIONS, A FIRST ARTICLE-ENGAGING AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ORIENTED PLATE HAVING A FRONT EDGE, A SECOND ARTICLE, ENGAGING PLATE SPACED ABOVE SAID FIRST PLATE AND ORIENTED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE ADJACENT THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID FIRST PLATE, EACH OF SAID PLATES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE PANELS AND EACH HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND OPPOSED END PORTIONS BENT TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND LYING AGAINST SAID SIDE PANELS, EACH OF SAID END PORTIONS BEING GENERALLY TRIANGULAR IN SHAPE WITH SIDE EDGES CONVERGING AWAY FROM SAID PLATE, SAID END PORTIONS OF ADJACENT PLATES LYING IN SPACED EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATION WITH EACH OTHER WITHOUT INTERFERRING WITH EACH OTHER AS THE PLATES ARE ORIENTED IN VARIOUS HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL POSITIONS MEANS ON SAID END PORTIONS RELEASABLY SECURING SAID END PORTIONS TO THE SIDE PANELS IN STATIONARY POSITION AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF PIVOTS EACH SUPPORTING A RESPECTIVE END PORTION FOR SWINGING ADJUSTMENT ON THE CORRESPONDING SIDE PANELS, SAID PLATES COOPERATING WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SAID REAR PANEL IN DEFINING AN OPEN-TOPPED ARTICLERECEIVING HAMPER, WHEREBY SAID PLATES MAY BE REORIENTED FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID SIDE PANELS AND REAR PANEL FOR SUPPORTING OTHER ARTICLES IN VARIOUS MANNERS. 